RIVER WYE CANEOING EQUIPMENT

When canoeing on the River Wye with us you can be assured you will be using canoeing equipment that has been chosen to ensure your safety and provide you with the most enjoyable experience while canoeing on the Wye.

Buoyancy Aid

When canoeing on the River Wye people do, on occasion, fall in. So for your safety everybody is issued with a buoyancy aid. For a buoyancy aid to provide protection when you need it we have chosen a design that is comfortable and adjustable. In addition it has been chosen for its high buoyancy capability – to make you float more. The shoulder straps are 40mm wide to provide a comfortable fit and avoid chafing. They come in a variety of sizes. Adjustable side straps, with heavy duty ladder locks enable you to fine tune the fit to your torso. For additional comfort all our buoyancy aids are designed with a zip front (rather than a vest design in which it can be difficult to regulate heat when not in the canoe).

Children’s buoyancy aids are provided with a crotch strap for additional safety. This prevents the buoyancy aid from sliding over the head of a child immersed in water. It also stops someone from accidentally pulling a buoyancy aid off a child as they try to rescue a child that they are pulling out of the water.

Helmets

Helmets are available on request and are compulsory in some river conditions. As well as providing protection from objects in the river if a person has fallen into the river a helmet also provides protection from objects on the river bank (tree branches or even paddle blades of fellow canoeists).

To ensure that the helmet fits properly they have an adjustable inner cradle. The design also incorporates an ear guard frame, which while it provides additional protection to the side of the head still enables a person to hear what is going on around them.

Canadian Canoe

Canoeing on the River Wye is not difficult, but we have chosen Canadian canoes that combine tradition and technology in a safe and stable design. We use Old Town canoes; they have been making canoes since 1898 based on the original Native American birch bark canoe. You will be using a canoe that has been chosen for its stability and capacity.

Canoes can carry two or three people. For multi-day trips it is recommended to have 2 people so the canoe has the capacity for extra kit. For groups with young children the canoe is also suitable for being rafted (joined to another canoe to provide additional stability). This is ideal for Wye Valley Canoe Hire.

Canoe Paddles

We give you a paddle that is both lightweight and hardwearing. Canoeing on the River Wye is often in shallow water so it is important that paddles are strong and can withstand the impact with the river bed. Our paddles come with a sturdy polypropylene blade, on an aluminium shaft with a plastic T-piece handle. We will give you a paddle of a length that suits your height and build.

We have paddles for children that have shorter shafts designed to make them more practical for shorter arms.

Dry Barrels

To keep your belongings dry when you are canoeing on the River Wye each Canadian canoe is issued with a 60ltr barrel. We recommend that you take a mobile phone with you on your journey so that you can contact us in case of emergency or we can contact you if we need to. Therefore by putting your mobile phone in the dry barrel will ensure it does not get wet and broken. Other things you will be putting in the dry barrel will be electronic car keys, a spare change of clothing, a towel and maybe some sandwiches.

TIP: make sure you do not put bottles of drink inside your dry barrel, not only are they waterproof anyway, but also if it leaks inside the barrel, everything you wanted to keep dry is now wet!